Strange Old World ONE SHOT
by IOtragiceyesOI
Summary: one shot, Harry is sitting at the trains station observing the world and people around him, wondering whether it is worth saving it all.


**A/N - **This is a one-shot i wrote, i felt in the mood, i hoope you like it. Its from harry's pov about the world arouns him as he assess's his need to 'save the world' muggle and wizard!

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**STRANGE OLD WORLD**

Harry stood in the doorway; it seemed ridiculous that once again his troubles had lead him here. In seemed like the previous day he had returned through this solid barrier, destined never to reach the school again. Leaning against the brick wall, Harry watched the people passing by, continuing with their lives as though nothing had happened.

A mother was dragging her screaming daughter along the side of the path, quietly scolding her and looking around to check for judging others. An old man was snoozing on the bench nearby; he had the current paper rested on his knee. Harry approached the bench and sat on the opposite end to the snoozing man. Reaching over he picked up the paper, and watched as the man's head bobbled on his chest. Pulling it closer to him, Harry glanced around and turned his attention to the headlines.

'Local Citizen Wins Lottery!'

Flicking past the front page and the and the large picture of a bland smiling man, holding a foam cheque, Harry glanced at the smaller columns . . . nothing, there never was.

Standing, Harry placed the paper back on the bench and put his hands into his pockets, they were cold from the crisp morning wind, whipping its way through the open station. Examining the white, dirty tiles; Harry could see the remnants of many trips witched and wizards had managed to take through the barrier without being noticed. Small skid marks stood next to the barrier, the surrounding area white, from the obvious attempts to remove the marks by endless confused cleaners. Sighing, Harry walked over to the barrier and rubbed his shoe over the marks.

'They've been there for as long as I can remember' Harry looked up in surprise at the lady standing next to him; a brown coat pulled tightly across her chest.

'Don't know why the marks don't come off, probably some young hooligan losing control of the trolley . . . don't get so many of them around here anymore'

'Ah, yeah' Harry said uncomfortably as the woman looked around them and sighed.

'Read the headlines lately? The man who won the lottery, he was my neighbour he was . . . ten years of pumpkin pie and not a cent . . .' she giggled to herself and looked at the floor

'Amazing how things work out isn't it? He was a funny old fella he was . . . almost blew my eyes out when I found out he won . . . never was a big fan of chance . . . strange old world'

'Sure is . . .' Harry clenched his eyes as a train halted to a stop next to the barrier, sending a jet of smoky air into his face.

'That's my train, good day' The woman nodded towards Harry,

'yeah, you too' he took one final glance at the woman as she walked away from him and into the recently stopped train. Turning away from the attention, Harry leaned once again onto the barrier and sunk onto the floor, it seemed that the last thing he needed now was a crazy old woman discussing her financial situation with him . . . strange, old world alright. As the train sped off into the distance, Harry closed his eyes and wondered what to do next . . .

The small girl that Harry had seen screaming into her mother's ear walked past quietly with an ice-cream in one hand and her mother's in the other. As she walked passed she stared at Harry as if he was an animal sitting quietly in the zoo.

'What he doing?' The little girl looked up to her mother and awaited a reply

'Who?' she asked briskly, not slowing her pace

'That man, on the side of the road, he looks cold'

'What did I tell you about pointing, it's rude? Don't bother strange men'

Harry listened in to the woman's voice as she pulled her daughter along the pathway, was that all he was to her? A strange man? And to the lottery lady? Just a companion to speak to about her woes? He watched as the small girl turned her head and stared at him along the hallway, her blonde curls getting caught in the fur of her jacket bonnet. It was strange hearing a small child talk about him in such a way . . . he looked cold . . . was that all she saw? Was that all she understood, her life would be shortened and taken away, her chance to understand would be captured because of something totally out of her control . . .

The bricks jabbed Harry's back and he wiggled around to find a comfortable position. Feeling the breeze on his face, he pulled his coat in tighter around his cheeks and breathed out rubbing his hands together. A tall man in a conductor hat walked past the barrier and eyed him quickly. Looking up at the people walking by, he only just noticed the numerous people, walking by in long sleeved suits and ties, carrying a brief case around as if the world would end when they dropped it . . . maybe it would? A woman with Brown curls approached and Harry listened to the clip of her navy heels; when she passed the barrier, he brief case slipped open and a pile of white sheets slipped out from its depths. Harry watched as they fluttered to the ground, lengths away from the woman, looking suddenly dishevelled and out of control. Harry reached out to gather the notes near him but was cut of by the woman's hand, she did not even acknowledge he was helping . . . A handsome man walked up to the woman and began helping her, but it seemed his help was appreciated as she looked up to him and smiled like a small school girl, meeting the class crush. As the man glanced in Harry's direction he scowled slightly and reached to pick up the papers near him. Maybe these people didn't deserve to be saved? This was the reason both could not live in harmony, if these people could not appreciate their fellow muggles how could they possibly appreciate the wizards? Or worse . . . how could they acknowledge the world around them . . . this was why the wizarding world was kept secret for so long . . . these people brought it on themselves . . .

The tall man wearing the conductor hat briskly walked over to the Barrier Harry was leaning against

'Is there a problem?'

"oh no sir, I dropped some of my papers' The woman placed the notes into her case, and he and the handsome man walked their separate ways. The conductor continued to stand above Harry, and he felt the need to stand.

'sir?' the conductor leaned over Harry with his hands in his pockets

'There is a bench available just a while away'

'Thank you . . .' Harry mumbled as he stood and strode away from the conductor. The people around him took no notice as Harry walked in the opposite direction of the crowd. Striding away from the conductor, remaining, strongly next to the brick barrier, Harry did not look back as he reached the door of the station, sliding it open with his free hand, Harry left the safety of warmth and headed into what nobody could know . . .

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please review!


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